The Writings of Samuel Adams - Volume 4 eBook

joynt Letter, will depend upon our Negociations with
England.” The sooner a Commercial Treaty
is settled with that Nation the better, as it appears
to me. Our General Court, in the late Session,
thought of making Retaliation on England for her prohibiting
Importations from America into her West India Islands
but in British Bottoms. They were sensible of
the Difficulty in the Way of the United States coming
into general Regulations of this Kind, & have written
to their Delegates on the Subject. Should the
States agree to give Congress a more extensive Power,
it may yet be a great while before it is compleated;
and Britain in the mean time seeing our Trade daily
reverting to its old Channel, may think it needless
and impolitick to enter into express Stipulations
in favor of any Part of it while she promises her
self the whole without them.

I am fully in the Sentiment expressd in your joynt
Letter Sept 10th, that now we have regular & constitutional
Governments, popular Committees and County Conventions
are not only useless but dangerous. They served
an excellent Purpose & were highly necessary when they
were set up. I shall not repent the small Share
I then took in them. But what think you of the
District & State Conventions of the Cincinnati, &
of the Cincinnati in Congress assembled? Do not
these Assemblies convene expressly to deliberate &
adopt Measures on great and National Concerns proper
only for the Cognizance of the United States in Congress
assembled, and the different Legislators & Officers
of Government? And will they not, being an Order
of Military Men, too soon proceed to enforce their
Resolutions, not only to the lessening the Dignity
of the States in the Eye of Europe, but the putting
an End to their free Existence! The Order is
very unpopular here. By the inclosd you will
see the Sentiments of our Gen1 Court. The Governor
of Sdeg. Carolina in a late Speech to his Assembly
inveighs against them with the Vehemence of Luther.

Adieu

TO JOHN ADAMS.

[Ms., Adams Papers, Quincy; a draft is in the
Lenox Library.]

Boston April 17 1784

DEAR SIR

Several of my Fellow Citizens have desired me to mention
to you certain Difficulties they labour under & to
request that you would inform me whether it is probable
they can obtain Reliefe, among whom are Dr Nath1 Noyes
& Capt Saml Dashwood. Both of them I believe you
knew. I inclose Mr Noyess Questions as he has
stated them himself.—­Capt Dashwoods Goods
were taken from him by order of the Commanding officer
of the British Troops when they left this Town in
1776. I need not trouble you to explain as I
doubt not you well remember the Circumstances of these
Matters. It will be hard for such Persons to pay
the British Creditors for the same Goods which the
British Nation took from them for its own necessary
Use & if I mistake not with a Promise to compensate
them, unless the Promise is complied with.